China Shows Interest in Melting Arctic Sea Ice
Image Source: Flickr. By: Orvaratli.
For some, the melting of Arctic sea ice is a sure sign of global warming and habitat loss. For others, it simply means a chance to reap more economic and strategic benefits. China fits one of these descriptions. Can you guess which one?
Linda Jakobson, a researcher from SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) stated “The prospect of the Arctic being navigable during summer months, leading to both shorter shipping routes and access to untapped energy resources, has impelled the Chinese government to allocate more resources to Arctic research.”
While China may be interested in the possibilities that the Arctic holds, they have a number of obstacles to get past first. If you know your geography, you’ll know that no part of China touches the Arctic, which means they hold no sovereign rights to underwater continental shelves. They are also not a member of the Arctic Council, which determines Arctic policies.
Along with all of that, China also has 5 other nations to contend with on the matter. Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the US have been making claims on the Arctic for years, while trying to figure out who should control the shipping routes. As far as this situation goes, Jakobson has noted that “China has adopted a wait-and-see approach to Arctic developments, wary that active overtures would cause alarm in other countries due to China’s size and status as a rising global power”.
Right now, trade vessels travel between Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal. The Arctic’s Northwest Passage is expected to become completely ice-free during the summer any time between 2013 and 2060. During that time, the passage could be opened for trading and as such, cut travel distance by 40%.
However, this brings other issues into the light. What is more important, as far as fighting climate change goes? A shorter summer trade route could mean less emissions, but at what cost? Where will all the animals that depend on that sea ice go? Will a warmer Arctic summer bring animals further north? How will possible trade routes through the Northwest Passage affect the habitat(s) they pass through? There are many things at many angles that need to be considered.
One interesting thing about China is although they may not border the Arctic, they have certainly been involved with it. In particular, China owns the world’s largest non-nuclear icebreaker and they also have one of the world’s strongest polar scientific research capabilities. They certainly seemed rather focused on the melting Arctic, which is all well and good; but given the pollution and other environmental issues their own country has, I would think it’d be better to get one’s house in order first (so to speak) rather than focusing on territory that they don’t even hold any claim over yet.
By Heidi Marshall
I have been with GreenFudge for about a year now, but I've had a passion for Nature my entire life. When I'm not writing articles, you can find me out hiking, gardening, working on green craft projects, or taking photos for my website. You can check out the site at http://arkisaeo.com
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Tags: Arctic sea ice, China, climate change, global warming, Northwest Passage, SIPRI, study, trade routes
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